Puzzle.



M. L. MINNS.

PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1914.

- Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

LEI;

ing/AMT MINES ,mss EEES 1HE MORRIS PETERS COA. PH0`m-LlTl1J-,WASHINGTON. IJv C,

UNrrED srA'rus giairuivr oniricafivrAnY L. MINNs, or NEW Yemen. Y.

PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 27, 1914. Serial No. 858,866. n

ments in Puzzles, of which the following is.

a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to a war puzzle havingreference to the countries involved in the present European war. v f

One of the principal objects of theinvention is to provide aninteresting puzzle in which the countries allied with each other in thepresent European war as well as those opposed to them are eachrepresented by a moving element, in this instance a ball, and theseballs compelled to pass by abutments or obstructions and in such a wayto a certain point or place that they will indicate so far as theworking of the puzzle is concerned which countries at war are or will bevictorious. The puzzle ma7 also include one ory more neutral countriesor countries which are likely to be involved in war and which may bemade, in the working out of the puzzle, to combine with one or the otherof the opposed groups or allied countries.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple puzzle which isinexpensive to manufacture and which may be worked out in differentinteresting ways according to the manipulation and desires of the oneusing the puzzle.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinaftermore particularly described Awith reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification, and will then bepointed out in the claims at the end ofthe descripl tion.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of one form kof deviceembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the lineII-II of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a slightlymodified form of device.

The device comprises a body 10 and a cover 11, the latter being hinged,as at 12, in any suitable way to the body 10 so that it may be foldedover upon the said body when not in use. The body as well as the lid orcover may be stamped from tin or may be made from any other suitablemachannels 15. 'These' channels 15 may be of As shown, there arey anysuitable number. eight channels forming radial raceways each having itsouter'end closed,'and opposed to said channels 15 are obstructions orabutments 16 which separate the raceway kr1/1 from an innersubstantially fiat space, part or pocket 18. The obstructions 16 mayrepresents forts andy said obstructions are separated sufficientdistances from each other to provide short channels 19 which communicatewith the raceway 14 and the` inner space 18. lThe vobstructions 16 areof less number thangthe ychannels 15 and therefore place most of theshort channels 19 out of alinement with the channels k15.

Each country at'war is represented bj a movable element, in this case aball. The puzzle Iis intended primarily for use in con- The bottomPatented N0v.`3,`1914. y n

nection with the countries at war in Europe f 0r raceway 141,r so thatthose alliedrvith` each other should be all made to occupy the space18which is intended to represent ythe place for the victorious forcesindicated bythe word Victory. y In carrying out one plan of theinvention, if one red ball shouldenter the space 1,8 then the other redballs should follow. c If on-the other hand the white yball yshould.first enter the space indioatedby the word Victory the other white ballshould follow and also the green ball representing Italy because of thetreaty of alliance with Germanyand Austria, or if Italy is alliedj withEngland@ France andRussia, then it shouldfollow the red balls into thesaid space. If Italy is neutral it may be made to follow-either thewhite balls or the red balls into the space 18 indicated by the' wordVictory, it being understood that the arrangement may be and is changedto meet the wishes of the one using the puzzle.

It will be readily seen that considerable variations and scope can begiven to the puzzle by the addition of diierent countries represented bya ball and their relation to the other countries, the main purpose ofthe puzzle being to get all of such countries properly allied with eachother in their regular order into the space 18 without having any of theother balls representing` the opposing countries enter said space. Thedifficulty of manipulating the puzzle will depend largely upon thecharacter of the channels, the raceways and the obstructions 16 whichmay indicate forts, as well as the number of countries represented andtheir general arrangement with respect to each other.

ln Fig. 3, the construction of the puzzle is the same as that shown inFigs. 1 and 2 eX- cept that instead of the body 10 having simply thebase 13 with the marginal walls about the same and open at the uppersurface thereof, said body 10 may be closed on the upper surface bymeans of a glass plate 9.3 which may be held. to the body 10 by means ofa paper or other strip 2li or in any other desired way. rThe purpose ofthe plate 23 is to prevent access to the interior of the body 10 by theuser of the puzzle.

In the lid of the box 11 may be stamped, printed, lithographed, orotherwise arranged, the name of the puzzle as well as the rules so as toindicate to the user the character and way to operate the puzzle in themanner shown. It will be understoodthat if desired the lid or cover 11may be dispensed with and simply the body portion with or without thecover plate 23 employed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent l 1. A device of the character described, comprising abody having its bottom formed with an annular raceway and radiatingchannels extending outwardly therefrom and with spa-ced annularlyarranged obstructions differing in number from those of the radiatingchannels and forming an inner space within said obstructions whichcommunicates with the annular raceway and with said channels, and aplurality of elements representing different countries adapted to passfrom the radial channels and annular raceway in certain order to thespace within said obstructions.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a body having arac'ewayV and channels extending outwardly therefrom and having spacedobstructions difering in number from. those of the outwardly extendingchannels, said abutments forming an inner space within the same whichcommunicates with the raceway and with said channels, and a plurality ofballs representing different countries adapted to pass from the channelsand raceway to the space within said obstructions.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a body having itsbottom formed with an annular raceway and radiating channels extendingoutwardly therefrom and with spaced obstructions forming an inner space,said channels having their outer ends closed and a plurality of ballsadapted to pass from the radial channels and annular raceway to thespace within said obstructions.

-1.A device of the character described, comprising a body having itsbottom formed with a flat annular raceway having radiating channelsextending outwardly therefrom and with spaced annularly arrangedobstructions forming an inner flat space which communicates with theannular space and with said channels, said channels having their cuterends closed and a plurality of elements representing different countriesadapted to pass from the radial channels and annular raceway in certainorder to the space within said obstructions.

5. A device of the character described, comprising arectangular bodyhaving its bottom formed with a raceway having channels extendingoutwardly therefrom and with spaced obstructions differing in numberfrom those of the channels and forming a central space within saidobstructi ns adapted to communicate with the raceway and with saidchannels, and a plurality of balls adapted to pass from the channels andannular raceway in certain Order to the space within said obstructions.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a body having abottom with marginal walls and a lid adapted to form a closure for saidbody, said bottom having an annular raceway and radiating channels, an

tions, and elements representing different countries adapted to bearranged in certainv order within the space.

This specification signed and witnessed this twenty sixth day of AugustA. D. 1914.

MARY L. MINNS.

Witnesses:

TALTER' J. MINNs, ALFRED J. CULLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

inner space, and irregularly spaced obstruc-

